Meet The Beautifully Melaniny Baddies Behind "Melanin Illustrated"

The magical lovelies of TITE 56 were nice enough to give an exclusive interview on the flip…

What was the occasion for your line to get together for a trip to Costa Rica?

“It’s a tradition in our chapter (Beta Alpha) for lines to get together every 5 years or so to celebrate line anniversaries. We do this by choosing a destination for everyone to meet up (this year being Costa Rica) and we follow it up with an even larger meet up at Homecoming. This year FAMU’s homecoming weekend is October 13-15. We can’t wait to celebrate with more of our line sisters, other past chapter lines, and the campus of Florida A&M University- who always welcome us back with love!”

Was your entire line there?

“Unfortunately our entire line (56 in total) was not able to attend the trip. Due to work obligations, weddings, and new babies! We had 28 who were able to meet up in Costa Rica and look forward to an even larger attendance at Homecoming!”

How long was your trip to Costa Rica?

“Our trip lasted from July 20th- Sunday July 23rd. It was organized by Omar Hamilton (@ohpsalms) who frequently organizes vacations and travel for various large groups looking to get away. The entire itinerary was seamless as he was with us for the entire stay and made sure that all logistics were taken care of”

What gave you all the idea to take this photo with coordinating swimsuits?

“A group of line sisters came together to generate themes for each day of the trip so that we could all be coordinated in our photos throughout the weekend (we love a good photo op!). “Melanin Illustrated” was brought to the table by soror Melissa Butler (@melissarbutler), owner of The Lip Bar (@thelipbar) who had a vision for us to all wear nudes and shades of brown and we loved the idea! The group then went to work on a ‘vision board’ that we distributed to the other line sisters. We really didn’t know when or where the photo would take place but we knew we’d be ready when the perfect photo op happened! Other line sisters Jardan Doneghy (@jardanp) and Shardia Washington (@shardia_24) worked together to bring the vision to life once we were in Costa Rica, as I have experience in art direction and she’s a cheerleader for the LA Rams, and done numerous swimwear photoshoots (she taught us how to pose)! We didn’t want to do the typical on-the-sand beach photo so when we saw those rocks we knew we had the perfect set up! They were actually super sharp and slippery so it was a bit dangerous but worth it in the end!”

What does this photo represent to you? What does it say about sisterhood? What does it say about black beauty?

“It’s a photo that commemorates who we are as a line and the growth we’ve had over the past 10 years. This photo is about loving yourself just as you are! The media, and especially social media, have a way of telling us what beauty should be- we say, beauty is being confident that you are good enough, and that is beautiful in itself. We represent various shades and sizes and want to send a larger message of self-love, especially to our African American sisters who may sometimes feel overlooked and underrepresented”

Did you expect for your photo to go viral? Why do you think it did?

“We had no idea this would go viral but are overwhelmed at the positive response. I think the fact that this went viral is proof that it’s not common that you see such a large group of REAL women- mothers, doctors, lawyers, business owners, educated black women saying “this is what beautiful is”- it’s bringing your personal best to the table – that’s beauty to us. It’s not a way of saying we are better than any other group of people — its an empowerment for all women to embrace and love themselves”

What else do you all have planned for your 10 year reunion?

“A large part of our celebration is in giving back to the University that made this all possible, Florida A&M University. We’ve been working to fundraise amongst our line in order to give back at Homecoming in the form of a monetary donation”

Photos courtesy of @bidrop_images #bidrop/pictured:@jacqhay @jardanp @melissarbutler @drbrit_fit @moecaramel @alovebyrd @villivix @miss_smoot @ltphd_ @queennzinga @typrice10 @vandoline @jinicha_14 @sham_wowwww @wij21 @mac2point0 @madenkali @nikkibooneboone @sophib33 @jsue34 @bthenor @theunsocialite